Ethical Decision Making In Nursing Essay
This essay utilises an ethical decision making framework to critically analyse a nursing scenario. The process of arriving at a professional and ethical nursing decision is critically analysed, followed by a critical discussion of the leadership and management attributes required to enable a registered nurse to implement those decisions.
What are ethics? Ethics are a philosophical study of moral or immoral action. For nurses it is extremely important to understand ethics and to adhere to ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non- maleficence, justice and veracity. Nurses encounter ethical dilemmas and questions on a daily basis. What is considered ethical by one person may differ from another individual’s point of view. Ethical dilemmas can be very complex when two ethical principles conflict with each other (Levett- Jones & Bourgeois, 2015). A user friendly ethical decision making framework called ‘The four boxes’ has been developed by Jonsen, Siegler, and Winslade (as cited in Schumann & Aldandre, 2008) to guide health …show more content…
and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care”(Fetzer, 2012, p. 3). Thus, Ricky’s psychiatrist exercised beneficence that allowed the community mental health team to continue working with Ricky that improves his mental state while integrating back into society. The ethical dilemma of following the family’s request to withhold from Ricky the truth “prima facie right” regarding his treatment can raise the principle of beneficence as Ricky’s mental health will continue to improve as a result of continued treatment. However, by telling Ricky the truth regarding treatment may raises the principle of non-maleficence as he could decide to stop the treatment resulting in his mental health deteriorating which is concern of Ricky’s
What are ethics? Ethics are a philosophical study of moral or immoral action. For nurses it is extremely important to understand ethics and to adhere to ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non- maleficence, justice and veracity. Nurses encounter ethical dilemmas and questions on a daily basis. What is considered ethical by one person may differ from another individual’s point of view. Ethical dilemmas can be very complex when two ethical principles conflict with each other (Levett- Jones & Bourgeois, 2015). A user friendly ethical decision making framework called ‘The four boxes’ has been developed by Jonsen, Siegler, and Winslade (as cited in Schumann & Aldandre, 2008) to guide health …show more content…
and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care”(Fetzer, 2012, p. 3). Thus, Ricky’s psychiatrist exercised beneficence that allowed the community mental health team to continue working with Ricky that improves his mental state while integrating back into society. The ethical dilemma of following the family’s request to withhold from Ricky the truth “prima facie right” regarding his treatment can raise the principle of beneficence as Ricky’s mental health will continue to improve as a result of continued treatment. However, by telling Ricky the truth regarding treatment may raises the principle of non-maleficence as he could decide to stop the treatment resulting in his mental health deteriorating which is concern of Ricky’s